Jewish woman from north London sleeps rough for charity
A sleeping bag on the concrete at a football stadium was my home for the night in a very sobering experience
As a Jewish woman, I carry the legacy of resilience and responsibility. Tikkun Olam – repairing the world – isn’t just a value. It’s a call to action. And sometimes, the most powerful way to lead is to lie down on the pavement, feel the cold press into your bones, and listen like you’ve never listened before.
CEO Sleepout is a national initiative where business leaders sleep rough for one night to raise funds and awareness for homelessness. I could’ve walked to the CEO Sleepout at Lord’s Cricket Ground in St John’s Wood, a familiar, safe, even poetic choice. But instead of heading to a well-known venue, I decided to walk in the shoes of a homeless person for 24 hours. No itinerary. No warm welcome. Just one IKEA bag, a small backpack, £10 in my pocket, and a whole lot of uncertainty. I dressed like a ragamuffin, nothing you’d expect from a nice Jewish girl from north London. And that was the point.
This wasn’t about optics. It was about empathy.
I headed to Sheffield where I wandered through unfamiliar streets, searching for food, shelter and direction. The rain was relentless. The cold seeped into my bones. And with poor circulation, every step felt heavier. Yet I knew this was only a glimpse of what thousands endure daily. Later that evening, I joined over 30 leaders in Sheffield for the sleepout. we were nervous, trepidatious – some had panic attacks. But we knew we had to do it.
I wasn’t there just as a CEO, I was invited as a voice for impact. Through my work, I help leaders raise their voices and drive change, whether inside organisations or for charities. I write their narratives, build movements and help them lead with empathy and purpose. But I’d never done it from the perspective of someone experiencing homelessness. That night, I did.
I lay down on my thin plastic sheet on the concrete at Steel City Stadium. I had a sleeping bag but that was all. It wasn’t even that cold last night but sleeping outdoors it gets right under your skin. I managed to sleep for around three hours.
This was about confronting the raw, real challenges young people face every day. In the UK, suicide is the leading cause of death for those under 35. In 2024, suicide remained the leading cause of death for young people under 35 in the UK, with over 1,800 lives lost mirroring the tragic figures from 2023. Official data shows the crisis is ongoing, with no significant improvement year-on-year.
The stories we heard that night were devastating. Children so abused, so neglected, that some of their experiences are too painful to repeat. These weren’t just heartbreaking they were indictments of a system that’s abandoned its most vulnerable.
I’ve always believed leadership isn’t about comfort, it’s about courage. Being a voice for impact means stepping into discomfort, asking bold questions, and amplifying stories that don’t fit the mainstream narrative.
So far, I’ve raised nearly £3,500 personally. Collectively, we’ve raised over £30,000 and it’s still rising. But it’s a drop in the ocean compared to what’s needed.
I won’t change the world overnight. But I’ve helped get at least five people into shelter for December. And that’s the best Chanukah gift I could have asked for.
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